Heracles' Choice and Your Potential pt3
Walk the Walk
Talk is cheap
In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we’ve seen how Heracles’ was cheated out of his birthright and then chose to take the hard road to reclaim it.
He could have chosen the life laid out by Vice, as you learned in the last email.
But Heracles decided on the road that led to his destiny. Now he had to walk it. His choice to take the hard road is realized through his actions.
Just like you can only realize your own destiny through hard work, not simply talking about what you’ll do.
There are 3 final lessons we can take from the choice of Heracles revealed through his completion of the 12 labors.
It’s not what he overcame specifically that matters to us, since we won’t face literal monsters and the mythological trials that Heracles faced.
Rather it’s his attitude and his willingness to accept the honesty of the labors that provide us with the deep wisdom of this story.
1.He didn’t want to make the hard road any easier
When Heracles set out to complete the labors the gods gave him advantages.
Zeus gave him a shield, Athena and Hephaestus gave him armor, and Hermes gave him a sword. Heracles tossed them aside and completed all the labors in just a lion skin robe, a bow and arrow, and his trusty club.
He exposes himself to the fullest dangers and accept struggle and sacrifice willingly.
It’s so tempting to take the hard road and then attempt to make it the easy road while we’re on it. Heracles teaches us to embrace the true difficulty and not look for shortcuts.
2.Shortcuts lead to more work
Heracles didn’t always follow the rules to complete the labors. In fact he was only supposed to complete 10 labors, not 12, but he was disqualified from two when he cheated.
To punish Heracles for trying to make the hard road easy, he has to perform two more labors, and these are the two hardest of them all.
The lesson is CLEAR.
When you cheat yourself you only make things harder in the long run. If you decide to walk the hard road, do it with fidelity or face more struggle.
3.Athletic Morality
Heracles stands as the mythological model for athletes.
He is the world's first Athletic-Hero.
His conquest over the labours represents the athletic conquest through combining mind, body, and spirit.
Virtue offered a hint when she gave Heracles his choice: “…if you wish to be vigorous in body, you must accustom your body to obey your mind, and exercise it with toil and exertion.”
When he betrays this moral, he’s punished with more suffering. When he endures and lives the moral, he transcends beyond the mortal realm.
You must be HONEST above all when it comes to athletic morality.
There’s the objective result of your training but also the subjective attitudes you bring. When they are NOT in alignment you end up with more suffering and little gain.
If you cheat, be honest and get back on it next time. If you’re lazy and quit, face up to it and try again with renewed vigor. Make good on your promises and you won’t have to suffer unforeseen consequences later on down the road.
The ultimate takeaway from Heracles is simple.
Accept responsibility and be willing to endure the sacrifice necessary to reach your true potential.
Thanks for reading through the pivotal heroic story that defines the athletic ideal of moral action in the face of suffering and adversity. If you’re looking to chase a dream, start a new fitness habit, or simply aim to know yourself better so you can take on more righteous struggle, I’m opening up 1 new spot in my 1-1 coaching program this month. Send me a message using the button below and let’s chat. It would be my honor and privilege to help guide you on your own heroic journey towards your true potential.
Happy Training Team!